Proper Diagnosis of Mesothelioma

A doctor can perform any of several tests in order to reach a proper diagnosis of mesothelioma.  Each test has a different level of accuracy.  A test to diagnose the presence of mesothelioma should be conducted when the patient is experiencing symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue, pain in the abdomen or persistent coughing.  Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos.  If the patient knows that he or she was exposed to asbestos, they should be tested. 

After the evaluation of the patient’s symptoms and taking a brief medical history, the doctor may take an x-ray or CT scan to determine if there is any asbestos in the body, specifically around the lung, heart, or stomach areas.

If the doctor does find the presence of asbestos, the next step would be to determine if malignant mesothelioma is present.  At this point, the patient should visit a specialist. In fact, proper diagnosis of mesothelioma will depend on the persistence of symptoms and the results of any or all of these tests. 

To determine whether cancer cells are present and if so, how many and where, the doctor will do a biopsy of the infected area.  This is a less intrusive method than surgery, which is another way of detecting mesothelioma.  The current health condition of the patient will dictate which procedure would be most advisable.  A biopsy allows the doctor to gather cells that are suspected of being infected.  This sample will then be passed to another specialist such as a pathologist, who will then examine the specimen to determine if the cells are malignant or benign. 

Another method to reach a proper diagnosis of mesothelioma is surgery.  This procedure entails the doctor cutting a small piece of tissue to be tested.  This process could take several days.

If the patient is diagnosed with mesothelioma, the doctor will either refer the patient to an oncologist or begin a treatment plan if this doctor practices oncology.  Before deciding on the proper treatment plan, the doctor will need to do further tests to determine how far the mesothelioma has progressed and/or spread.

Subsequent to a proper diagnosis of mesothelioma, you must learn what legal rights you have available.  You probably did not know you were exposed to asbestos, but the group or person that created that environment may have known about this dangerous condition at the time.  This means that you may be justified in bringing a legal claim.  You need to look into this since you are about to incur potentially large medical expenses depending on your insurance coverage.  Do not wait to contact an attorney to help you understand what you should do next, as there is a time limit involved with bringing even a rightful claim of liability.